Two Sisters, Two Secrets, One Outcome
by Converse r life
Summary: Adrina and Alana share secrets, and help one another cope with them.


"Adrina? What are you doing?" A voice questioned, as Adrina, startled, dropped the book she was reading on the floor of her room. Well, technically the room she shared with her six sisters. Looking up, she could see Alana's confused expression as to what she was doing.

"Um...I was just...just...um...looking over some...um...homework!" Adrina blurted the first thing that came into her mind, as Alana's black brows raised in a skeptical fashion. Leaning down, the black haired beauty picked up the book her sister was reading with wide confused eyes.

"_Volume One: The Encyclopedia of Human Knowledge. _" Alana's slow voice drawled out, before turning back to her younger sister with wide eyes. "Adrina! What is this! Daddy said---" Alana barked, as the human book fell from her hands and onto Adrina's bed in shock.

"I know what Daddy said Alana." Adrina snapped angrily, before softening her expression, seeing as how she never liked to get angry with her sisters. "I was just curious...I just wanted to flip through this book." Adrina said easily, waving her hand as though it was no big deal. But it was.

Their mother had been killed by humans eleven years ago...it was only reasonable that Daddy had put up laws to prevent it happening to another merperson. Still, it wasn't as though Ariel could be the only one interested in those who walked above. Ariel...just the thought of her name stung Adrina, making her feel guilty for staying indoors while search parties were scouring the seas for her red headed little sister.

"Adrina, humans are dangerous! How in posiedon could you be curious about fish eaters?!" Alana shrieked at the top of her lungs, as Adrina's cheeks flamed red. Quickly swimming off her bed, she easily lifted up her giant oyster bed and put the book underneath it.

"Calm down, will you?" Adrina said irritably, sitting back on her bed so that she could face her older sister. "I was just trying to figure something out." Adrina said softly, twiddling her thumbs as Alana waited for her sister to answer. How could she explain why she had a Human book in her hands? And not just any human book, no, one that detailed things all about them. What their legs were for, what they ate...why they ate it.

"Adrina...what are you doing with a human book? Is there something you need to tell us....?" Alana's more calmed voice said this time, placing a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder. Adrina shook it off though, causing her sister to frown.

"Yes actually, I do need to tell you something." Adrina admitted with truth in her voice. Alana's expression was a patient, waiting expression as she looked at her sister's green eyes. "I was actually born a human, and so that means I'm not really your sister. Happy _now_?" Adrina said sarcastically, as Alana's lips pursed angrily.

"Don't joke like that. You know it's not funny." She said sharply, her eyes a bit out of focus at her sister's words. How could Adrina understand how much it hurt when Alana heard the word 'human'? She'd been six at the time of their mother's death, not ten like Alana had been. She could barely even remember the woman! But Alana could...oh yes she could....all too well.

"I know, I know." Adrina said airily, in a desperate attempt to hide her real feelings. No one knew the terrible secret she held...the one that had been eating at her for the past two months.

"No, you don't know." Alana said crossly, her blue eyes still slightly out of focus. "Don't ever talk about that again!" She said with gritted teeth, trying to control the anger and sobs that were inside of her.

"Alana are you alright?" Adrina's voice quickly said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder in comfort. Alana's ragged breaths started coming now, but she tried hard not to let a sob come out, forcing her nails perfectly manicured nails to dig into her arm.

"Yeah fine." Alana finally managed to whisper out, though she was far from fine. Alana loved her sisters, even Adrina, to death...but there was one secret she could never tell them. "Tell me why you had a human....book with you." She said softly, her blue eyes finally back in focus as she placed her hand gently on her sister. Though twenty one, Alana was closer with her teenaged sisters now more than ever since they all had pull together to search for Ariel.

Ariel...it was hard not to think of her baby sister, out there somewhere. After Daddy had destroyed her grotto...filled with human things...she just swam away from home. They had no idea where she might be right now in the seas, and today, as the sun finally set, it would be the second night was gone. Also, no one had seen Sebastian, strangely enough....or Flounder...something fishy--if you'll excuse the pun--was going on. Alana knew that for a fact.

"A secret for a secret?" Adrina asked her older sister in a soft voice, sticking out her pinky as though she was just a toddler, instead of an 'official' adult, since of course, she was eighteen.

"Secret for a secret." Alana agreed, sticking out her pinky too. Both the sister's little fingers hooked onto one another, and shook before dropping. "Little sister goes first." Alana called out suddenly, a small smile on her face as Adrina gave her a sour look at that, but nodded her head all the same.

"Alright." Adrina agreed, if not reluctantly. "I was reading...that book...because..." Taking in a deep breath to steady herself, Adrina continued. "Because two months ago, me and Ariel were just talking about if we could go anywhere, where'd we go. And she said..." Taking another breath, Adrina continued one last time. "She said the surface. I think...somehow...she turned into a human...and she's on the surface. And...I think she's in love with a human." Adrina's quiet voice was no louder than the buzz of a busy bee, but her sister heard it perfectly.

"Oh." Alana said softly, sitting on the edge of her sister's bed. Putting her face in her hands, she started to take deep breaths to calm herself down before she started to cry, in front of her little sister. "Alright. I promised you my secret too." Alana said softly, and before Adrina could interrupt and say that it wasn't necessary, her sister started.

"I was ten...and...I remember not understanding." Alana's slow but steady voice started, as Adrina nodded in an attempt to tell her sister she was here. "I could see the ship...and I knew everyone was in the water...but I couldn't find anyone. It was pure chaos...and I was scared...and then I saw Momma's tail...she was still on the surface." Calm down Alana, the girl's mind said. Calm down, you can do this...you have to tell.

"I went up to the surface...to try and tell her that I couldn't find Daddy...I was right next to her...I tugged her arm...and when she saw me next to her she got scared...the ship was so close to us...she had the music shell in her hands. I remember being right in front of her...my back was turned to the ship...I was crying...I couldn't find anyone. And Momma just..." Just one more sentence Alana, the girl's mind said. Just one more and your finished.

"And Momma gave me the music shell. She kissed my forehead...she said she loved me...and then threw me out of the way. I remember flying...I heard a big boom...that's when I landed back in the water...and the music shell was in my hands." Alana said in a voice so soft plankton would have to strain to hear it....but somehow Adrina managed to hear it. Alana cautiously looked up at her sister...who didn't look mad. She just looked...pitied.

"Oh Alana." Adrina whispered, her eyes filled with tears. "Why didn't you ever tell anyone?" She asked softly, her hand reaching to her sister's bare shoulder and resting there. She couldn't help herself though; a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder was nothing. She released her hand from her sister's shoulder, as she wrapped it around the girl in a hug, holding her tightly. Though the younger sister, she didn't care as she hugged Alana tightly.

"I'm so sorry." Adrina whispered, hugging her sister tight. Alana was dumbfounded....she thought her sister would hate her! She'd been right there...she should have saved their mother...she could have done it...she should have done it.

"Y-You're not mad?" Alana asked in a slightly awed voice breaking off from her sister's hug. Adrina gave a shake of the head, tears in her eyes as she started to speak.

"Alana...losing Momma was hard...but losing you would have been worse." Adrina admitted, letting her sobs out as she thought of it. "You're my--our big sis...Attina's little sis...if we'd have lost you...I don't think I would have had to courage to go on." Adrina admitted, as she gave a small sobbing laugh at herself. "Oh Poseidon. Look, you've made me cry!" She said, as a smile lifted up the corners of her mouth, and she hugged her sister tightly. Though her sister was twenty one, and she was only seventeen...without her, well, it would be impossible to live.

Alana with her beauty products, and weird creams and everything else she had. Alana with her obsession of beauty, and her black seaweed rag curls. It'd been hard to go without a mother most of Adrina's life, yes, but Attina had filled up most of that emptiness in her heart. But if Alana had died...no one could replace her. It would be impossible to find someone so unique, and with such black hair! Ariel was cute, but Ariel couldn't be talked to about serious things. Arista was too slow to understand the depth of Adrina's words. Aquata would brush them off and say she was turning into a cry baby. Adella would just find some way to make it seem as though this was all about a boy. And Attina would just take it too seriously, and tell their father. No, Alana was the only one who could be talked to like this, in Adrina's mind.

"I made you cry!" Alana said, as tears spilled out form her eyes too. "Look at me! My eye makeup is running!" Alana said with a smile, the sob coming from her mouth sounding like a laugh. Hugging, both sisters laughed and cried with one another, until they had finally calmed down enough to talk normally again. Though none of them mentioned what Alana had just said, each knew that in a way, they didn't have too.

"What are we going to do about Ariel?" Adrina asked in a soft voice, taking the sweet moment away as she looked up at her older sister. Sure maybe this was a problem Attina could handle, Alana thought to herself musingly, but it wasn't Attina who'd been asked. No, it had been her, Alana.

"Let's wait until sunset tomorrow. That'll be what, the third day she's been gone? If she's not back by then...we'll tell Daddy." Alana said with upmost sincerity in her voice, her head raising as she felt proud that Attina wasn't the only one to handle serious problems.

"Alright." Adrina agreed, before a slow smile spread to her lips as she looked up at her older sister. "But by the way..." She said in a mischievous voice, as Alana immediately tensed up for the sarcastic comment that was about to come. No sarcastic comment came though, as Adrina reached over a her sister's hair, tugged on one of her curls, and watched with a laugh as the thing came undone. Alana's face twisted in mock fury, though she couldn't hide the smile as she gasped, and swam as fast as her fins after Adrina, who was swimming for her life.

And though the sister's had no clue where little Ariel might be, or why their mother had been taken from them at such a young age, they did know one thing.

They loved each other.

* * *

**Alright, this is just a short little oneshot for everyone...review and tell me if you liked!**


End file.
